One Hell of a New Butler
by Luna Slate
Summary: Ciel and Sebastian have left England, coincidentally for business with the Ootoris. Unfortunately, a kidnapping goes terribly wrong, causing Kyoya to find himself with a demon butler and no soul, Ciel without someone to tie his shoes, and makes Sebastian realize that he does have a heart. KyoyaxSebastian later, CielxSebastian implied a little.
1. Chapter 1

**A/a: **Well, this is my first fanfic ever, and a friend told me that there would be an adoring public.. Hopefully.. Anyway, I own neither Ouran Host Club nor Black Butler, but I certainly wish I did. Enjoy!

Kyoya sighed tiredly, walking out to the lone limo in front of Ouran Academy. The cool fall breeze ruffled the notes and textbooks tucked under his arm, his blue uniform swishing gently as he pulled open the sleek car's door, ducking and collapsing onto the seat. "Drive quickly please, I have a headache." he sat his books heavily onto the spot next to him, leaning back and closing his eyes. Grammar had been even more of a nightmare than usual today, and the bubble-headed American teacher didn't understand that he just didn't care. He was passing, barely, and he of course was going to ace the class with all the extra credit tucked away in his binder.

"Excuse me."

Kyoya's eyes flew open as he whirled, face taut with shock. To his left sat a man, slender and tall yet threatening as he sat calmly next to the panicking teen. The man wore a butler uniform, glowing red eyes nearly covered by his midnight-black hair.

"I'm afraid this may be a bit confusing for you, but I assure you, the hands you are now in are quite safe."

Kyoya recoiled when the stranger smiled faintly. "Who are you?" he demanded, scooting away and flattening himself against the door, fingers reaching for the handle. "What do you want?" Stay calm, he told himself, taking deep breaths.

Before he could blink the man had gotten to Kyoya's side of the limo, a hand trapping Kyoya's hand mid-reach, the pressure making him gasp softly. His upper body was pinned the the door by the other gloved hand, fingers gently digging into his chest through the uniform. The man, kneeling on the plush seats, leaned over Kyoya, both their bodies and faces only inches apart.

"Pardon me," the stranger said with his mysterious half-smile. "But before I can do anything, I will need to know your name."

Fear seized Kyoya's heart; he knew this person, if only by the British accent and pale skin. Recently a deal with the Phantomhives had gone bad, yet the Ootori companies seemed almost richer. Wherever this man, the butler as his appearance suggested, went, the bratty Ciel Phantomhive followed. If he let on he was an Ootori, few people knew how truly numbered his days were.

"My name? It's Suoh Tamaki." Why?! his mind screamed. Why that name?! This was no time to hate himself, he just had to roll with the punches and get out alive. "Obviously, being as I have no idea who you are," his fingers deftly pulled on the door handle, "this isn't my limo." The door was flung open with Kyoya's weight pressed against it, sending the teen flying wildly backwards.

Suddenly, before Kyoya's head smashed into the concrete curb, the butler caught him. An arm under Kyoya's lower back and a hand supporting his neck aided in his miraculous catch before the man pulled him back into the car, slamming the door shut. "How noble of you," the Phantomhive butler said, adopting a small sneer. "But, young Mr. Ootori, I'm afraid it will take more than that to escape."

"Sebastian, get on with it." Ciel's bored voice came from the passenger side of the front seat, hidden by a tinted glass partition. "I have a very important meeting soon, and I would like to make the phone call before then."

The butler, now named Sebastian in Kyoya's overwhelmed mind, nodded. "Of course, bocchan." He drew a square of cloth from his pocket, pouring something from a small bottle onto the material. "Now, Mr. Ootori, I am very sorry to inform you that this will burn. I greatly apologize for any inconvenience."

"Oh no, this is fine," Kyoya managed to choke out, fear constricting his throat. "In fact, I believe the rest of my day is cleared."

Sebastian smiled pityingly down at him, a gloved hand holding Kyoya's head still. "Hopefully that is all the time we need." Slowly the wet rag was pressed against Kyoya's mouth and nose, Sebastian's eyes watching his with an almost predatory gleam. Instantly a burning sensation flooded Kyoya's mouth and throat, traveling to his lungs in seconds, where the pain seemed to sear away any breath he had. A survival instinct kicked in and Kyoya writhed, trying to pull the rag from his face. An anxious smirk was on the butler's features as he shoved the material harder onto Kyoya, leaning closer. A shudder ran through the teen as the man's lips brushed his ear, Kyoya's muscles tensing.

"Help me."

Sebastian's glowing red eyes were pleading, the last things Kyoya saw before his eyelids dropped, spiralling him into an empty black void. Help me? Kyoya wondered , floating in his drug-induced sleep. Shouldn't it be the other way around?


	2. Chapter 2

**A/a: **Hi everyone! Hopefully you liked the last one, a friend told me to write more and kinda threatened me to do so.. *sniff* But I'm better, and now you'll see why Kyoya is in trouble..

I own neither Black Butler nor Ouran Host Club.

"Sebastian, wake it up. I want the Ootori's to realize exactly who they are dealing with when they cheat me." Ciel's voice rang out through the cavernous warehouse, echoes making it seem like there was an army of the Phantomhive.

One Ciel is bad enough, the butler thought tiredly, bowing. "As you wish, master." How he hated calling someone thousands of years younger than him by such a high-ranking title. The twelve year old brat couldn't even tie his shoes without his precious butler, Sebastian thought scornfully as he unscrewed the cap of a water bottle. Kyoya, still drugged, had his back against a thick metal pole, handcuffs locking a wrist around the beam. His head rested on his chest, lower body laying limp on the cool concrete floor, glasses gently set on a nearby crate.

He looks so...innocent, Sebastian thought in disbelief, crouching in front of his captive. No, why did I think that?! The butler shook his head, tilting the boy's chin up. It doesn't matter; innocence is easily corrupted. He resisted the urge to drag his nails across the teen's face, slash at his porcelain perfection and mark it with streaks of red, instead funnelling his fury elsewhere. Sebastian stood, upending the entire water bottle unforgivingly onto Kyoya and smirking as he woke with a start, sputtering.

"How nice of you to join us, young Mr. Ootori." He stepped back, well out of his captive's reach. "Just in time to help with Master Ciel's phone call to your father."

Kyoya's face drained of color. "Oh no."

"Sebastian, I believe you're right." The butler held back a groan as Ciel slipped off the box he had been sitting on, striding over to the pair. "Phone, dialed."

As the Phantomhive held out his hand, staring down at Kyoya haughtily, Sebastian took the disposable phone from his pocket and punched in the correct numbers before setting it in Ciel's waiting palm. "The Ootori residency as planned, my lord." Noticing that Kyoya was watching Ciel with both fear and a smug curiosity, Sebastian allowed his lips to curl into a cruel smile. Perhaps corruption wouldn't be as hard as he thought.

"Ciel," Kyoya said incredulously as the phone was put on speaker. "You can't do anything yourself, can you?"

"Of course I can," Ciel snapped, blushing a little. "Why should I memorize numbers if someone else can do it for me?"

"You are even lazier than Tamaki." Kyoya went to push up his glasses with his free hand, blinking when he realized they were gone. "How on earth can you possibly run a company by not doing anything and having your butler do it all?!"

"Sebastian," Ciel said, fire dancing in his lone eye. "Please instruct this piece of dirt on the proper way of addressing a Phantomhive."

"Hai." Sebastian bowed, impassive expression covering up his smirk. Now, how quickly he destroy that almost otherworldly innocence? There was that word again, innocence. This Ootori was anything but that word, especially since appearances were only skin-deep. "Mr. Ootori, when you first meet with a Phantomhive, it is customary to bow. However," Sebastian said, gesturing to Kyoya with an evil smirk, "given your current circumstances, I will allow the bow to be forgotten."

Kyoya's eyes widened. "Why would you do that?" he asked mockingly. "If it's customary to bow, then surely I must."

Sebastian rolled his eyes as Kyoya struggled to stand, the sickly-sweet smell of chloroform gently swirling in the air. "How noble of you."

"I simply cannot forget tradition."

"Smart alec," The butler muttered when Kyoya bowed awkwardly, limbs flopping.

He straightened, a worried frown on his ivory face. "What happens after the bow?"

"First, you will bow correctly." Before the teen could brace himself Sebastian delivered a quick punch to the gut, taking a single step back. Kyoya was doubled over, gasping and clutching his stomach. "Legs straight, arms by your sides, eyes lower, bow deeper," the butler commanded, smacking his captive across the face. "I said eyes lowered."

"O-Of course," Kyoya responded shakily, quickly moving his gaze to the floor after reeling from the slap.

"Hm." Pausing, he clasped his hands behind his back, staring at the wall. "Again." He'll figure out what I want eventually, Sebastian thought, grabbing a handful of Kyoya's dark hair and yanking him up to his eye level. The teen trembled slightly, eyes starting to look defeated. "Bow lower." As he shoved the boy away a twinge of guilt shocked the demon into silence. The person in front of him isn't Ciel, it was Kyoya Ootori, someone he had seen in the flesh three times. Why hurt him, destroying what little hope he had of staying innocent? "Again!" Sebastian growled, brushing the hair from his eyes. Why does that word keep appearing in my head?! He could barely even think anymore without that accursed phrase.

"Again!"

"I've already done three perfect bows." Kyoya leaned against the pole, glaring defiantly at the demon. "Now what?"

"I want four perfect ones." He landed another blow to Kyoya's stomach. "I trust you will not disappoint?"

Panting and obviously struggling not to collapse, Kyoya bowed, gritting his teeth. "Happy?"

Sebastian stopped pacing, turning to face his captive. "Not quite."

He gently bit one of the fingers on his glove, slowly sliding it off his hand, doing the same with the other, revealing the pentagram. "Something wrong?" The demon smirked as Kyoya shook his head. "Well, I believe I have a bit more to teach you..."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/a: And so it begins... Well, you almost feel bad for the Shadow King...**

**I own neither Black Butler nor Ouran Host Club.**

Sebastian wiped his bloody hands onto a handkerchief, sighing regretfully. "Young master, if you would hand me the phone I believe I can reinforce the call from earlier." Blood had splattered all over his uniform, although, if things went as planned, a new uniform would no longer be Ciel's problem.

"What do you mean, Sebastian?" The young Phantomhive walked up to his butler, carelessly tossing the cellphone at him. "I believe the call got through to Mr. Ootori, but other persuasion would be welcome. As always."

"What I mean, bocchan," the demon smiled as Ciel scowled, "is that, as the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words." Effortlessly he caught the smartphone, tapping on the camera icon. "I want to remember today," Sebastian muttered, kneeling in front of the unconscious teen. Blood dripped down from an ugly gash on the left side of his face, right eye purple and swollen shut. Red claw marks were etched down both the arms and legs of his uniform, the material ripped to reveal shredded skin. Each limb, bloody and lifeless, only had three scratches.

"And so it begins." Sebastian took a picture of the unconscious Ootori, a slightly guilty ache eating away at him. There was more blood than you could see, he thought grimly. The cuts under the jacket, blood matting down the boy's raven hair, mental scars that never reach the surface. If anything good happened today, the teen had won his respect. The butler sent the graphic image to Kyoya's father, hitting the send button almost regretfully. "You know," Sebastian said thoughtfully, straightening. "I don't believe he begged for mercy once."

"Don't be silly, Sebastian." Ciel stood next to him, frowning at Kyoya's blood-covered form. "He screamed it, they always do."

"Perhaps my mind was elsewhere, my lord." Lies; the Ootori is stronger than you ever will be, the demon thought with contempt. Every lesson had been met with an equal amount of grim silence, abuse raining down onto his tired limbs.

The Phantomhive idly prodded Kyoya with his cane, circling and avoiding the small pools of blood. "Sebastian," Ciel said after a pause, "What is wrong with you?" The words came out harsh and unfeeling, but the demon was used to it.

"What do you mean, bocchan?"

"I thought I asked you to refrain from calling me that." The cane smacked into the side of Kyoya's arm, sliding him away gently as he groaned. "You never admit you are wrong, yet you just did. You never mutter, but you have been."

"I apologize if it upsets you, my lord." Little brat, always calling him out when he did something wrong. "I simply have been a bit preoccupied with something." Something that will make you very, very upset, Sebastian thought with a bow, a small smirk on his features.

"Well stop being preoccupied and start paying attention." Ciel strode to a glowing fire Sebastian hadn't seen him build, picking up a long metal pole from the coals. It had two letters, glowing hot as he returned, the rod about two and a half feet long and gripped loosely in his small hand. "Hold his arm and keep him still."

Sebastian blinked, worried. "My lord?"

"Are you deaf?" He scowled, gesturing towards Kyoya. "I said for you to stop him from moving."

"Of course." Sighing in resignation the demon crouched next to the teen. "Which arm would you like?"

"The right," Ciel commanded, standing behind his butler and brandishing the hot metal poker.

Nodding in reply Sebastian used his knees to hold down Kyoya's legs, leaning over him to allow a hand to pin his right forearm and left wrist. Every fiber of his being knew what was coming, that it couldn't allow it to happen.

"Try not to get too comfortable, Sebastian." Ciel towered over both of them, hot letters positioned above Kyoya's arm."I suspect he'll ask for help and want it removed, but I command you to leave him to me."

"As you wish." He knew he would regret this moment, relive it more than once a day if the ritual worked. "Shouldn't we give him something to bite onto, my lord? I am afraid he might bite off his tongue, and things will become more difficult."

"Then give him a glove. Really, when did you become so concerned for our enemies?" Sebastian returned with a bloodstained glove, balling it up slightly before gently pushing it into the boy's mouth.

"Whenever you're ready, my lord."

Ciel simply asked the butler to straighten the arm before pressing the glowing letters into the teen's wrist, right below the hand. Steam rose from the area , the smell of burning flesh filling the air. As the hot metal touched his skin Kyoya screamed, eyes flying open wide. He arched off the ground, writhing in pain and sobbing, fighting to get away. Every noise he made sounded like it ripped at his throat, raw with agony.

"My lord." Sebastian couldn't bear to watch Kyoya anymore, head turning to look at Ciel. "That should be enough."

"I suppose you're right." The demon clenched his teeth as another scream came from Kyoya; Ciel had pressed the rod even deeper into his wrist before removing it.

"Such weakness," he commented before walking and returning to the fire. "I wonder if all Ootori's are as loud and beg as much as him."

Slowly Sebastian sat back, stomach churning when Kyoya became silent, eyes closing and limbs going still again. "My lord," he said quietly, delicately turning the teen's arm to examine the brand. "I believe you may have made it fairly easy for them to find out who had done this."

"I am Ciel Phantomhive," he replied dismissively. "They do not dare arrest me."

"Of course not," the demon murmured, gently lowering Kyoya's arm to the floor. Steam curled up from his wrist, the wound blistered and red, standing out vividly against the teen's deathly pale skin. The longer Sebastian looked at it the more anger bubbled inside him. A CP had been burned into Kyoya's skin, impossible to be removed completely. He would be reminded of it every day of his life. This was low, bad for a slave trader, the worst for Ciel, something that would haunt even him, a demon that killed without blinking.

"What are you looking at? He's unconscious. The show begins when he wakes up," Ciel said from across the warehouse. "Until then there's nothing to see."

"Except evidence of your barbaric behavior." Standing, the butler looked expressionlessly at Ciel. "Really, you have outdone yourself this time."

"What are you talking about, Sebastian?" Perched on a stack of boxes, cane across his knees, Ciel met his gaze, looking cross. "What has gotten into you?"

"The realization that for the past 126 years I have been bossed around by a stuck-up, power-hungry, troublesome and irritating twelve-year-old brat."

Ciel flinched with every word, as if there were invisible hands pinching him. The demon hadn't spat them out, hadn't put any emotion or malicious intent behind the words. What had made them hurt was the matter-of-fact tone of voice he had said them in.

"Sebastian," Ciel scolded, glaring angrily at him. "I command you to take those terrible lies back."

"No, bocchan," he replied sarcastically. Slowly, almost like a cat stalking its prey, he advanced towards Ciel. "Never again will I have to tie your shoes or obey one of your silly commands. After I am done," Sebastian grinned wickedly as the pentagram on his hand vanished, "you'll be short one hell of a butler."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/a: Hm, well, now you see exactly what Sebastian was referring to... Slightly, er, Satanic, as everything demonic is... So, any aversion to that, and perhaps this chapter isn't for you... Anyway, I own neither Ouran Host Club, nor Black Butler. Sadly. Please, continue with this story, and enjoy!**

"Sebastian, I command you to untie me this instant!"

"Ciel, I advise that you remain quiet from now on, or you will find out about far worse things than losing a butler."

The two nightmares even appeared in his pain-induced dreams. Kyoya groaned, entire body screaming in pain as he shifted slightly. Slowly his eyes fluttered open, taking in the scene although his brain couldn't process it.

First his exhausted gaze settled on Sebastian, the man's lethal smirk causing him to cower a little. Alabaster skin practically glowing, the outline of his uniform could barely be seen in the darkness. A glowing candelabra was in front of him, blue candle burning in the center along with the golden one to the left. On the right was a traditional white candle, the only one of the three to remain unlit. Sebastian placed the black candle-holder on a small table also containing a decorated knife and lighter. Other candle light glowed from the floor, a large pentagram drawn on the floor in white chalk. A black candle glowed at each of the five points, flickering gently. Kyoya was handcuffed, both wrists this time, tied in a standing position against a pole, one of the candles glowing at his feet.

"Perfect timing, master." Sebastian's voice dug into Kyoya's brain, bringing back memories of the lessons and causing him to shudder. "I am sorry about tying you up, but I am afraid there was no other way." He couldn't think, the light from the candles was hurting his head, the pain almost excruciating. Clenching his jaw the Ootori tried to ignore the fact that his torturer had just called him 'master'.

"Sebastian, what on earth are you suggesting?"

Kyoya's eyes flew open, locking with a pair of wide, almost fearful blue ones. "Ciel, why are you.." His voice trailed off as the lessons rushed back, making him straighten and bow his head formally. "Lord Phantomhive, may I inquire why you are in this predicament with someone as lowly as I?" Sebastian had better be proud, he thought, wincing as the claws flashed in front of his eyes.

His former captor was bound in the same position, hands behind his back, leaning against a pole on the other side of the pentagram. With a start the Ootori realized the eyepatch had been removed, revealing a perfect and working eye underneath. "Sebastian, I command you to release me immediately!" Ciel pushed against his ropes insistently, the strain on the pipe making it creak and groan under the movement. Kyoya's aching head throbbed at the boy's shouting, vision going hazy. "Really Sebastian, I am not your enemy, let me go!"

"Ciel Phantomhive," Sebastian replied irritably, fixing his angry gaze on his struggling captive, "unless you shut your mouth and keep it that way for the rest of the ritual, I will knock you unconscious and leave you to magically untie yourself. Please make the easy choice."

The Ootori's vision cleared, although the darkness simply looked less blurry. "Ritual for what?" he murmured, instantly regretting the question as both his lungs and his head wailed in agony.

"Hm." Kyoya held his breath as Sebastian's red eyes settled on him, feeling his own dark eyes widen when the butler smiled tenderly. "I suppose you are a bit confused, my lord. After all, you are the only one here that has no idea what I truly am. Or what is going on."

A thousand questions fell from Kyoya's blood-encrusted lips, each swept away by his fear and confusion. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes in an attempt to gather his thoughts and calm down. Before the teen could say a word the butler beat him to it. "Three people." His tone of almost pure awe made Kyoya glance up in an almost paranoid curiosity. Sebastian's eyes traveled over Kyoya before doing the same to Ciel, making the teen shiver at their penetrating feel. "Three candles." An ungloved hand gestured to the half-lit candelabra, sharp black nails glinting in the candlelight. "Three circles." Every pair of eyes instantaneously dropped to the floor, Ciel and Kyoya just noticing that besides the original circle enclosing the star, the entire symbol had been circled thrice more in the almost glowing white chalk.

Kyoya inhaled sharply as he saw the butler reach into the pants pocket of his uniform, already fearing the worst and bracing himself for another round of assault on his already bruised body. He didn't know how much more he could take, knowing he most likely would be spending days in the hospital when he got out of here. If he got out of here, the Ootori corrected with a small shudder. Few could escape a kidnapping and survive without being scarred.

"My lord." Sebastian chuckled softly, withdrawing his hand and sprinkling a fine white crystal onto the ground. "It is simply salt, Master Ootori. To keep away the unnecessary spirits." He began to walk around the outermost circle, sprinkling it liberally and muttering odd words under his breath.

Salt? What was going on here, with the almost inhuman butler and his cruel ways of torture, the twelve year old business tycoon somehow running a company without doing anything himself? And the candles and knife, the salt and spirits, Kyoya thought in confusion, a cult is the only thing that could be going on. What would they want him for then? Evidently something had gone wrong and now both Kyoya and Ciel were now at the mercy of Sebastian. He feared for who would be left standing at the end of this 'ritual', especially since he had neither the strength or courage to attack the butler and escape. Goosebumps raised his torn skin, the temperature in the dark warehouse plummeting.

"Besom besom demon's broom, sweep out goodness, bring in doom." A sudden gust of wind followed Sebastian's low tone, scattering the freshly laid salt away. He calmly continued speaking, the air around him swirling dangerously. "Rid this place of hallowed ground, bring devils, imps, and hell's red hounds." The temperature dropped even farther, white mist pouring from their mouths with every breath. Across from him Kyoya could see Ciel shivering violently. "Cover this floor in innocent blood, feed it to evil's bud." Flinching as invisible fingers caressed his cheek, the teen's eyes grew wide, inhaling sharply as they trailed over his jaw. When the phantom touch left he could see Ciel jerk away, fighting against something of his own, squirming against his bonds as the candles flickered ominously. "I invoke the spirits to come and aid with this ritual, to bind and silence my sacrifices and promise their innocence and blood."

"Sebastian!" Ciel shouted, failing to hide the terror on his delicate features. "Stop this at once! I demand you untie me, I wish to leave this place immediately!"

Kyoya held his breath and froze as the butler looked up from the lone candelabra, instantly recognizing the murderous glint in his captor's glowing red eyes. "Lord Phantomhive," Sebastian replied in a dangerously low tone of voice, "you, of all people, should know better than to shout at me like that."

Ciel's angry, gaping mouth snapped shut, deep blue eyes wide as he stammered. "I-I seem to have forgotten the consequences," the child whispered, trembling slightly. It wasn't only Kyoya that was afraid of the odd butler. "Perhaps you will learn to grow a heart and forgive." He had resumed some of his haughty, business-like manner of speaking, barely cowering as Sebastian strode up, reaching to warningly rub the Phantomhive's small, thin neck.

"I am quite certain that you would like to keep your ability to speak, Ciel." The child whimpered softly as the butler's nails dug into his skin. "So unless you would like me to rip your voice box from your throat, I suggest you remain quiet. Any questions?"

"No," the captive finally managed to choke out, shaking his head. "I understand now, Sebastian."

"Good." The butler tapped Ciel teasingly on the nose before returning to his spot at the head of the pentagram, glowing candelabra only a foot away from his dark uniform. "Spirits assembled, as you can see by my lack of the marking, I have willingly terminated my contract with one of my captives and sacrifices, Ciel Phantomhive." Chills ricocheted down Kyoya's spine as dark murmurs filled the freezing air. "But," Sebastian continued, unperturbed, as the teen's eyes widened in horror, "I have, however, chosen a new master, following the rules from my previous contract's fine print."

The Ootori could feel eyes boring into his skin, eyes dizzily focusing on a stunned Ciel. He groaned in anticipation, seeing the child take a deep breath and already bracing his aching head for more yelling. "You've picked the weak Ootori over me?" the Phantomhive said in disbelief. "He has nothing I do not."

"I would kindly like for you to refrain from talking about my master that way," Sebastian replied calmly. "He may not be a demon but I am sure he is not a thirteen year old."

Ciel flushed angrily as Kyoya's head began to pound painfully, making him close his eyes and fear passing out again. "Sebastian, there is no need to say such horrible lies." Hearing the child gasp softly the teen glanced up in worry, already fearing another weapon and hating to be right.

Absentmindedly the butler straightened, grasping the handle of the small silver knife, the blade glinting as it rested comfortably in his hand. "It is not a lie, Lord Phantomhive. You are, and forever will be, thirteen." Without warning he darted over to his captive, making a clean, shallow cut on the pale underside of Ciel's forearm. The child flinched and tried to jerk free, gritting his teeth as the crimson liquid bubbled out, some flowing over the butler's fingers as he gripped it tightly. "I am no longer in charge of this blood, nor the life it gives." Stepping back and releasing the arm gracefully, Sebastian bowed. "Spirits, his fate is yours once again."

The Phantomhive whimpered and Kyoya watched in terror as unseen tongues lapped greedily at the trickle of red, small indents appearing on his arm where teeth dug in, feasting. The butler simply watched, a content smirk on his dark features. "Sebastian, what have you done?" the boy asked almost pleadingly, jerking his head away from the shadowy outline of a bony hand. "This is unnecessary, please just let me go.." He let out a small cry, a small bruise already blossoming on his collarbone.

"And, of course, now Ciel has no contract as well. His soul is returned." Kyoya turned his attention back to Sebastian, watching in terrified silence as the golden candle was gently blown out, leaving the blue one the only candle to glow on the black candelabra. "Then again, we are not quite finished," the butler corrected, wiping the sullied knife off on the cuff of his uniform. "It is time to create a contract for someone else." He turned his red, almost devilish and mischievous gaze to Kyoya, thumb flicking the sharp blade as he slowly walked around the table, careful to avoid the candles on the floor. "I'm sure it will be a nice change to serve an Ootori, especially one as unorthodox as you."

Kyoya could only nod, swallowing a plea. It wouldn't do him any good now; it never would've done him any good in this situation. Slowly, tenderly, Sebastian drew the knife point down the bottom of Kyoya's left arm, fingers digging harshly into the teen's porcelain skin. Blood instantly trickled out, crimson and thick as it poured down his arm. "This blood, however, is my responsibility. Whether its owner would like my help or not."

"Sebastian, don't!" Ciel shouted, pushing frantically against his ropes as still jerked away from shadowy things attacking him. "He doesn't know anything, just stop it now!"

The butler ignored him, smoothly pulling the teen's arm free of the ropes securing his body before loosening his grip slightly. "I would like to apologize for the pain in advance, my lord. You have been through more than most ever will, yet you seem to still be thriving. I promise that after this, you will no longer hurt for a very, very long time." Without warning he bent down, sinking his teeth into Kyoya's wound as blood dribbled out from his lips, locked around his captive's limb.

The teen screamed, trying in vain to jerk his arm free of the butler's bite. It was like a fire pumping through his blood, consuming him from the inside out, melting first his bones then his skin. His heart pounded fiercely in his chest, ribcage making him hold back a cry of agony as it fought to get out. Yet despite its best efforts apparently the fire destroying him couldn't kill the organ, the skin just above it starting to ache more than the rest of him. The initial pain from Sebastian's teeth and knife had retreated to the back of his mind, every torture in the world second to what was ripping through his body. There was little heat, just the agonizing burning sensation crawling up him, both inside and out. Eventually he simply succumbed to the pain, letting his mind go numb. He was mildly surprised his brain hadn't melted yet.

After what seemed like hours the hurt faded, leaving him dazed and gasping for breath as his lungs screamed. Slowly, groggily, he opened his eyes, blinking fast and squinting. The warehouse lights had been turned back on. Judging by the cool metal against his back, he was still tied to the pipe, but from what he could see the candles and table had been cleaned up. As his eyes got adjusted he could see that even the chalk had been scrubbed off the concrete ground, the only evidence that it hadn't all been a crazy dream was the dark splotches of blood on the ground. His arm was no longer bleeding, but there was also no bandage or gauze on it or his other cuts.

"Hm." From a distance Kyoya could see Sebastian gritting his teeth, cradling his left hand as dark red, almost black blood dripped down. He turned his head and the teen froze, not wanting anything else to happen to him. "Glad to see you're still alive, master." He started towards him, not bothering to hide his wound as he tilted his head, standing only a foot away from Kyoya. "Not many people can survive the contract and as much as you have."

Kyoya's head started to spin as he opened his mouth to reply, seeing that on Sebastian's hand someone had carved an intricate pentagram into the top of his hand. Ciel was nowhere to be seen, and the teen could feel his strength sapping. Almost as if reading his mind the butler said knowingly, "Lord Phantomhive was sent to the nearest hospital, and is fine. He is of no concern to either of us anymore." It barely registered in the Ootori's mind as Sebastian disappeared from his view, instead focusing his energy into keeping his eyes open. "I have already arranged for a cab to take us to the Ootori residence once everything is done, my lord. I have taken care of everything, including the press."

As his bonds were undone Kyoya crumpled, the blood rushing to his head. It was too much, he needed time to think and understand what had just happened. The black no longer lingered on the edge of his vision, instead rushing quickly to cover his eyes again. The moment before the back of his head could connect with the concrete two strong hands caught his shoulders, one sliding up to cradle his neck, the other moving down to raise his upper back. Eyes blinking shut he made a feeble attempt to wave away the fingers adjusting his glasses. No more spirits, please, he thought wearily. "It is alright, my lord." The fingers started to gently stroke the teen's dark hair as Sebastian's quiet voice lulled Kyoya to sleep. "The pain is over. Just rest." If the Ootori hadn't been unconscious he would've seen a tender smile on the butler's face, head cradled in his lap. "Thank you, Kyoya. You have no idea how much you have helped."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/a: And here it is, someone other than our Phantomhive, butler and new master. Everybody's favorite annoying reaper, because who else would be the first to know about Sebastian's decision? Anyway, keep reviewing and sending comments, they help more than you think. **

**I do not own Black Butler or Ouran Host Club, to my greatest disappointment. **

Grell almost dropped his red reaper notebook, squealing in excitement. "My Bassy!" He hadn't seen that face in years, save for his ever-so-lovely and pleasurable dreams. To his utter disappointment, the Phantomhive brat still hadn't given him his one day, and he had been waiting for a very, very long time. "I'll get it eventually, my darling," he murmured, running a dainty hand lovingly down the notebook page. Just seeing a real picture made him shiver in happiness and beam brightly into the night. He didn't fully understand why he was sent to reap his darling Sebas-chan, but he could barely wait, bouncing giddily as he scanned the rest of the information on the page. "Kyoya Ootori, student at Ouran Academy, co-creator of the school's host club." His face fell, glancing up at the illuminated house in front of him. "So, it's not my Bassy..." They looked so much alike: dark hair, glasses, tall and lean, perfect, sexy. "Why can't it be him?" the reaper whined, biting his lip delicately. You had to be careful when you had sharp teeth. "It really wouldn't be that hard to give me even a few hours..." But he knew, deep down, that the kid still wouldn't grant him even that. Sighing dramatically, he shrugged and continued reading about his next target. Even if it wasn't Sebastian, and he was under eighteen, Grell decided that he could still have some fun with this one.

"He was just returned from a kidnapping, missing for 27 hours before mysteriously showing up in his room, unconscious with unusual injuries. Cracked ribs, concussion, what is this? A medical report?" He rolled his eyes, skipping the technical terms. "This is some pretty nasty stuff you're mixed up in, Kyoya," the reaper commented, giggling like a schoolgirl. The name sounded like so much fun already. "Don't go getting yourself killed until I get there, darling."

After all the technical terms describing his new toy's medical condition, there was an extremely helpful line listing his target's current location. "Right side of the house, third window from the left on the top floor." Grell looked up, scanning the impressive-sized dwelling and grinning. "They really make this too easy for me." Without any hint of exertion he leaped over the six-foot iron fence, landing softly on the manicured lawn. Straightening, he started to circle the house, nicknamed already. "Very nice, I think the front should have a plaque reading 'Ootori Mansion', not that they would listen to me." A cool night breeze blew his long red hair gently and the reaper ran a hand through it self-consciously. "I really hope I don't have to wake him up... I would have to explain a lot and that would take away our time together."

Eventually, after what seemed like hours, he was on the right side and found the correct window. The lights were out, double windows open to let in the clean night air. "It's so much more fun when I break something," Grell sighed, looking wistfully at the other closed windows. "It's always a much more dramatic entrance when I burst through the glass, and if this Kyoya is anything like my Bassy, he likes the dramatic stuff." He put away his red notebook, easily leaping up onto the windowsill. The full moon cast his shadow onto the carpet. "Well well well, what do we have here, Kyoya-chan?" he whispered softly, jumping quietly from his perch. "A little tired from our adventure today?"

Moonlight streamed in the window, illuminating the king-sized bed on the edge of the room. Grell watched in near fascination as the Ootori lay still, covers and dark sheets twisted around him. The teen's glasses rested on a nearby nightstand, the soft light making them glint. His features were sharpened, white skin practically glowing as his fingers tightened around the sheets. "No," he murmured, shifting. "Please stop..."

"My toy's having a bad dream!" Grell said, delighted. "Maybe I can help?" He hesitantly moved closer, tilting his head. Was that bandages he saw? It would be fun to nurse his new plaything back to health, now to make sure. Wordlessly the reaper jumped gently onto the bed, his target moving slightly as the mattress creaked. "It's alright," he soothed, brushing some of his raven hair off his forehead. "You're safe with me." As long as I forget about my chainsaw, he thought, grinning and pulling back some of the sheets gently. "I'm so sorry, my pet," he breathed, smoothing out the gauze wrapped around the Ootori's chest, shivering as he felt subtle muscle beneath his fingers. Things were looking very promising. A soft crackling sound caught his attention, turning to gently pry a folded piece of paper from Kyoya's warm hand.

"What is this?" he murmured, reading it under his breath. "My lord- I am sorry for the recent events, and I hope you accept my sincerest apologies. In truth, I could have, and should have, handled the situations differently. Things got out of hand, and to my greatest dismay I find I slightly enjoyed it." The reaper scanned the rest of the note, eyes drawn to the signature at the bottom of the neat handwriting. His greenish eyes widened in surprise. "Sincerely, your loyal servant, Sebastian?! My Bassy touched this, he wrote it with his own hand and signed his name and everything..." Grell mock-swooned, flopping onto the bed next to Kyoya and clutching the note to his chest happily. "My darling... And my pet..." Rolling onto his side he smiled tenderly at the sleeping teen, tossing the letter carelessly over his shoulder before snuggling close. The Ootori's shoulder dug gently into his chest and he rested his head on his plaything's shoulder, sighing in contentment. "Now all I need is my Sebas-chan on the other side and I am the happiest person in the world," Grell muttered, closing his eyes. "I can always hope, right?"

"Ahem?" Someone behind the reaper cleared their throat, sounding shocked. "I can come back later, my lord..." They stayed away from the light, their voice the only indication of their identity.

Blinking and rolling to face the speaker, Grell mumbled a response while adjusting the sheets. "Yes, please leave, servant. We're busy." He buried his face tiredly in a pillow, Kyoya shifting beside him. "Come back when it's light out."

"Grell?!" the intruder said, taking a step back. Shadow covered their face, but through the sleepy haze he could see black butler uniform. "What are you- nevermind, I should have known. Of all reapers, I of course get landed with you."

Grell frowned, ready to admonish the servant. The voice nagged at the back of his head, familiar but unable to place. "Sebas-chan?" he asked slowly. "Is that you? What are you doing here?" He had thought Ciel was in England, that until further notice the butler would remain with him. "Is that little brat here? I have to call in that favor."

The figure sighed in exasperation, clasping their hands behind their back. "There has been some mistake, reaper. Kyoya Ootori is not anywhere near death," the butler said matter-of-factly. "He has no life-threatening injuries, there is no reason for you to be here."

"Oh Bassy don't be ridiculous, you know that we don't always pick the most obvious people to die." Pushing away the covers he flung himself at a shocked Sebastian, burying his head into the demon's chest after wrapping his arms around his waist. "Why don't you lay down with us and make my dreams come true?"

"That is the last thing I would want to do," he replied dryly, trying to pry Grell off of him. "This is a mistake, and you're not taking this seriously. Perhaps I should contact William and talk to him about your misconduct while on the job, I'm sure he will have some very strong thoughts about this."

"I am being serious, Sebastian. He was in my reaper book, which William fills in himself." The redhead kept his grip tight, smiling up at him and biting his lower lip gently, careful not to draw blood. "How can it be wrong?"

"It is wrong no matter what you say, Grell. And keep your hands off me." Easily he shoved the reaper away after loosening the reaper's grip, straightening his wrinkled jacket. "I'm considering just throwing you out the window right now."

"Don't be like that Sebas-chan," Grell whined, retreating to his seat on the edge of the bed. "I'm being quiet and serious, you can even look if you want." He tossed the red leather-bound notebook to the butler, curling up next to Kyoya and pulling the covers back over himself. "And if you're just going to cause problems maybe you should leave, everything was fine until you came along."

"Hm." The demon flipped through the pages, evidently ignoring Grell's words as his mouth moved and he read the words under his breath. "Why would he have been listed?" he said to himself. "No one knows except Ciel, and he holds no power anymore. Who could have put him in here?"

"Ciel? Oh, that's right, Kyo-chan fell asleep reading the most darling note written from you to that child." Grell watched in amusement as the butler took a half step back, eyes widening slightly. "Something wrong, Bassy?" he asked sweetly, lounging casually next to Kyoya as if this was normal. He truly wished it was. Maybe he should take more trips to the Ootori Mansion, it could be his home away from home.

"No." Sebastian bowed slightly, shaking his head. "I'm just a bit shocked that you assumed it was for Ciel so quickly." He returned to his composed self, the worry on his features gone like an echo from the past. "I've also decided to go through with all of my threats. Wonder how long it will be until you get your chainsaw back."

"No, Bassy, please don't... I just got upgraded from scissors, don't talk to William..." he begged, shrinking away and closer to Kyoya. Now that he thought about it, if he could reach his baby he could finish the job and his distraction would be overlooked.

"Reaper." Sebastian's voice was sharp, a murderous glint in his red eyes. "Will you please leave this room before I snap your neck?"

"What?!" Grell sat straight up, jaw dropping. "You want to kill me!?"

"I said," Sebastian threatened in a low voice, stepping towards him, "that unless you get away from him right now, I will kill you with your own chainsaw. Wouldn't you be the talk of the underworld."

The redhead could see the butler's hands curled into fists. "Bassy, calm down, he's my pet, I'm not going to hurt him..." Laughing nervously, he quickly crawled off the bed and towards the open window. "Come on Bassy, don't be ridiculous, you wouldn't kill me..."

"I am not being ridiculous, I just want you out of this room, out of this house and out of my mind." Slowly he followed the reaper, dark eyes watching his every move. "And I would like it as fast as possible."

Grell hesitated, a hand on the smooth window ledge. Something was off here, his Sebas-chan was acting odd. "What does this teenager mean to you?" he asked, feeling a gigantic surge of pride as the butler stopped in his tracks.

"What are you talking about?" His voice was emotionless, expression carefully guarded.

"Kyoya Ootori." The reaper jerked his head towards the sleeping teen. "You normally don't threaten me unless I'm talking to you or Ciel. What makes him so important?"

Sebastian stiffened, bowing almost regretfully. "Demons must show some sort of respect to masters, whether or not they are theirs." He raised his head, smiling faintly. "It takes a great deal of strength to command a demon."

"He's a master?! Oh Bassy, why didn't you say so earlier, I want to see his mark!" His new toy was even better than he could've imagined. Grell bounded towards the Ootori, red hair trailing wildly behind him.

"I believe I told you to leave," the demon said, grabbing the reaper's arm gracefully as he flew towards the bed. "Perhaps, if you move quickly, I'll forget all about tonight and reporting this... distraction."

"I will, I will, I promise!" He hugged Sebastian tight, breathing in the smell of him. "Can I have two last questions?" The butler nodded and he continued, smiling knowingly. "One, who is my Kyoya's demon?"

Sebastian sighed tiredly, detaching himself from the redhead. "I had really hoped to prolong this, but tides have changed." He put a hand to his head, closing his eyes to gather his thoughts as Grell waited patiently. "I am his demon, reaper. Try to not wake up the entire household."

"Bassy, you- you're-" Eyes wide, he looked between the sleeping Ootori and butler, hardly daring to believe it. "You're Kyo-chan's demon?" he managed to choke out. Every dream he had ever dreamed was starting to come true, and he wouldn't even have to lose his chainsaw.

"Yes," the demon replied simply.

Hearts started to float around the two in Grell's mind as he smiled dreamily. "It's perfect, just like I had thought, oh I wonder if it'll be like with Ciel..."

"And your second question?" Sebastian's voice cut harshly into his daydream.

"Oh, right." He blushed slightly at his thoughts, banishing away the thought of the two of them and a pile of clothes. "Well Bassy, I was wondering if you'd marry me." The reaper grinned, looking at the sleeping Kyoya pointedly. "But I see the position of lover has already been filled."

"Tell me, as a ghost, how it feels to die." The demon advanced quicker than before, his eyes glowing like flames. "I really want to know how much pain and agony I can cause."

"Oh, Sebastian, that reminds me I have other people to visit tonight, it really was nice to see you but I've got to run now," Grell said sweetly, darting to grab his chainsaw and notebook before sitting on the wooden ledge. "So pardon me for leaving early, I enjoyed our time together."

"I would recommend never showing your face near me again unless you would like it ripped off," the butler threatened, hands on the windows and ready to slam them shut. "And so many people will thank me. It really will be more than a selfish decision."

"I'm sure." He swung his legs over the window sill, twisting to smirk teasingly at the demon. "I love you too, Sebas-chan." Before the windows could slam shut on him Grell dropped to the ground, giggling. "I'll come visit as soon as I can, dearest," he called, moving to avoid the notebook and chainsaw thrown at him. "Don't have too much fun with your master without me." He threw himself to the side, a dangerous-looking knife thudding into the ground where he had been standing moments earlier. "I'm leaving, fine, goodbye Bassy!"

The reaper scrambled to his feet, grabbing his things and hurrying to the front of the house. "He's very sensitive about my Kyoya," the redhead murmured, casting a glance backwards. "Wonder why..." Pushing his delicious thoughts to the back of his mind, Grell opened to the next person in his reaper book. "Takagi Asame, injured badly in a train accident. Well my darling Sebastian," he sighed, closing it and jumping the fence, "our work just never ends, does it?"


	6. Chapter 6

**A/a: Hi, sorry it took so long, but school started, as it did for many of you. I'm expecting the next chapter to hopefully be done sooner than this one, so please, wish me luck...**

**I do not own Black Butler or Ouran Host Club, to my utter disappointment and sadness.**

"Pardon me for being late, senpai. I had an appointment that couldn't be missed." Every eye in the room turned to Kyoya, a few of the students gasping softly. "And, for those of you that believe the rumors, no I was not kidnapped. It was simply a dramatic misunderstanding and has already been taken care of." The Ootori smiled amid their shocked silence, giving his pass to the stammering teacher as he took his seat. He had almost convinced himself that the recent events were just dreams, his imagination going into overdrive from stress and lack of sleep.

"Kyoya, what happened to you? You look awful!" Tamaki, his table partner, turned to him in concern. "No offense." The blonde had obviously been referring to the teen's black eye and cuts on his face, either ignoring or not noticing the bandages around Kyoya's wrist. "Were you really kidnapped?"

"Tamaki, I believe I just answered that question." Sighing, he resolved to tell some of the truth, flipping through his binder absently. "No, I was not kidnapped. We received the service of a new butler over the weekend. He's a bit..." Pausing in his movements he searched for an adequate word. "...dangerous," the Ootori finished finally, pushing his glasses up. "The kitchen is his favorite place to work and the least favorite to handle the utensils correctly."

"Well if he's that bad why don't you just fire him?" The blonde lowered his voice, glancing towards the teacher and the front of the room warily. "Why do you even have him in the first place then?"

"He apparently has a life debt to my family's name and has taken it upon himself to attend to my every whim," he replied, surprised at how easily the lie came. "Naturally I told him I am quite capable of doing it myself, but he is almost inconveniently stubborn." It was almost easier like this; less of Tamaki's infectious and naive way of thinking. If he even attempted to explain what had happened during that night, or even this morning, mental health doctors would flock to his house like geese.

Tamaki nodded his head sagely. "Oh, that makes more sense."

"Mr. Suoh, please refrain from talking during class." Both teens glanced up to see their science teacher glaring at them from the front of the room. She had her hands on her hips, looking fiercely at the blonde while her long brown hair streamed over her shoulders. "Or would you like to clean up after everyone today?"

Smiling to himself as the other students snickered, Kyoya resumed looking through his materials and adding to their lab notes from Friday. The day that started nothing, the day that nothing went wrong. Sebastian had ordered no doctors, suddenly able to treat concussions and brandings. He stopped, slowly laying his pen down on the table as he cleaned his glasses.

Everything after the odd ritual was a blur, and he barely remembered being untied after what he privately thought of as the Burning. This morning he had woken to his wounds dressed, eye iced, bruises and small scratches already tended to as he slept in his bed. He flushed, remembering that instant when he woke up vividly, a hint of that panic hitting him once again.

Nightmares had plagued his dreams, although he believed that 'nightmare' was too innocent a term for his visions, the image of Sebastian's glowing red eyes seared into his memory. He would never forget those eyes until his brain was gone, his heart stopped and they pulled it from his body. The Burning, the branding, other unimaginable scenes flashed through his head during the night. Imagine his utter terror when he woke to find the butler in his bedroom, pulling open the thick curtains as if it were routine. When asked by the stunned Kyoya what he was doing the man simply replied with, "Waking you up, my lord."

He had turned to the bedside table, finding his glasses after a few moments. Next to them rested a silver tray, loaded down elegantly with all types of breakfast food. There was a steaming cup full of tea, the sugar and cream dishes surrounding the saucer it rested on. Bright, warm sunlight streamed in the double windows, causing the still-groggy Ootori to squint. "What is all this?" Why was his kidnapper and torturer serving him breakfast? Was this all another cruel dream?

"It is my unsaid version of an apology." The butler had paused, facing the window and keeping his expression guarded. "I was not entirely sure what kind of food you would like to eat in the morning, so I decided to bring a little bit of everything. You have one hour and" he checked a silver pocketwatch "approximately forty-three minutes until Ouran Academy's warning bell. That should give you more than enough time to shower and complete the math assignment from last Friday," the butler had finished with a small bow.

Rubbing his eyes in exhaustion Kyoya had tried to comb out his raven hair with his fingers, searching aimlessly for the letter he barely remembered falling asleep reading. Yet another thing for him to ask about. He had been too tired to hate being woken up, too tired to care that the entire situation was out of his control. Knowing about his morning routine, homework, his life in general; what was the Phantomhive's butler doing poking into his life, waking him up, most likely taking care of him?

Glancing up from a silver pocket watch Sebastian's red, glowing eyes had locked with his dark ones. "I really must encourage you to start to get a move on, master, we are nearly behind schedule. I will be preparing your things, if you require anything simply call." With those final words he swept from the room, leaving Kyoya alone with his thoughts, the letter thrown on the floor, and a tray of food brought by his apparently new servant.

"Mr. Suoh and Mr. Ootori are currently the only ones to have completely finished building their still." The teacher's voice jerked Kyoya out of the past, suddenly aware of the mix of jealousy and admiration in his class' stares. Nothing unusual; he had been dealing with them almost all his life. Smirking slightly he pushed up his glasses, quickly radiating confidence. The Ootori flicked his eyes from Tamaki's waving back to the teacher, loosening his tie slightly. The air had just become harder for him to breathe, each inhale forced heavily down his throat.

Lungs aching as he struggled to take a deep breath, Kyoya turned to his partner as their instructor continued describing the project. "Tamaki, what's the thermometer say?" He nodded towards it, the tool on the opposite side of the table and out of his reach.

The blonde pulled it closer, squinting at it. "Um, about 24 degrees Celsius, why?" Quizzically he tilted his head, looking back at his companion. "It doesn't affect our project, right?"

"No, nothing to be worried about." Kyoya shook his head, partially to reassure Tamaki, partially in disbelief; the way it felt to him, the air should be boiling. "It's just me being paranoid and taking thorough notes. It's a habit that strictly applies to the most intelligent people of society."

"Whatever you say, Kyoya," the blonde murmured, going back to drawing on his folder in pen. "As long as I pass this class I don't care."

The dark-haired teen put a hand to his throat, swallowing nervously. The walls seemed to be closing in, each breath more suffocating than the last as he took in precious oxygen through short gasps. It was just the humidity from all the fires in the back, he tried to reassure himself, glancing almost anxiously at the clock. The class had barely started. "All I have to do is survive until we're dismissed to our lab stations," he told himself softly, closing his binder in an effort to distract himself. "Then I can go to the nurse or get a drink and everything will be fine."

"I expect all of you to have finished building your stills by the end of class today," the teacher instructed, but Kyoya barely heard her as the walls seemed to close in. "Only approved groups may begin to collect the vapor from when they burn their wood. Now, get to work, most of you have a lot to do."

Slowly the Ootori rose from his chair, leaning heavily on the table as everything started to spin, then gradually return to normal. He stiffened, a hand placed on his shoulder comfortingly. "Kyoya? Are you okay? You're shaking," Tamaki said, and the teen realized he was. The same concern from before was copied into the blonde's voice, making Kyoya shrug off his help. "Do you want me to get the school nurse? You don't look too good..."

"I'm fine, Tamaki," he replied, shaking his head gently and starting towards the door. His friend's worried words followed him, as did the teacher's, like a suffocating blanket. He reached the door and the world flipped onto its head, barely able to walk as he stumbled forward, the door shutting behind him. Suddenly his windpipe sealed itself shut, a burning pain setting his lungs on fire. His hands clawed at his throat, gagging and choking, falling to the floor limply. He tried crawling away, mouth gasping frantically, the world spinning. His heart pounded in his ears, a never-ending drum speeding up until each beat was nearly slurred together. The hands that had been scratching at his throat fell limp from it, eyelids fluttering as he went still. It was the kidnapping all over again, his worst fears and nightmares coming to life in the last place he had expected.

When hurried footsteps came closer Kyoya was barely aware of them, drifting in and out of a blurry daze, the only thing he could feel being the cold marble floor against his temple. It barely registered that he had been picked up and carried down the hall for what seemed like hours, eyes opening slightly wider as his limp body was set onto its feet, swaying back and forth until leaned against a table of some sort. Suddenly he gasped, able to breathe again, eyes flying open as he was able to control his limbs once again. Looking down he saw that both his tie and school uniform jacket had been removed, his dress shirt unbuttoned. The entire picture was blurry, and raising his fingers to his face he found his glasses were gone.

Someone's thin, gloved fingers gently pushed them back into their place, his heart sinking as his rescuer spoke. "Here you are, my lord. Glad I found you in time." As the world came slowly into focus the first thing Kyoya saw was Sebastian's glowing red eyes, looking down at him in concern. "Are you alright?"

Ignoring the question the Ootori looked around, rolling his eyes as he saw that they were in the boys bathroom. The harsh lights made him squint, a feeling of soreness starting to spread throughout his body. Resting his hands heavily on the counter he slowly straightened, looking away from the butler's intense gaze. "Why are you here?" he finally asked, gently massaging his branded wrist with his opposite hand. "I thought you had gone back to the house."

"I returned, evidently." Kyoya glared at the floor when the butler chuckled. "A good servant is always there to protect their master, especially one as valuable and danger-attracting as you."

The Ootori's cheeks colored and he began searching for his missing clothing, making sure to avoid looking at his servant. "I am quite capable of surviving on my own, thank you," he replied, taking a hesitant step forward while still keeping a grip on the counter. "I managed to make it this far without your help, after all. I will continue not needing it as well."

Without warning Sebastian's gloved finger tilted his chin up towards the mirror, forcing his dark gaze off the ground. "I would suggest listening to my next words," he said, pressing a finger against the teen's lips as his mouth opened in protest. "It's very valuable information, but best not shared with anyone else." Kyoya shivered as the man's gloved hand brushed against his skin, pushing back the left side of his white dress shirt. The movement revealed a dark-colored symbol seemingly tattooed onto his smooth white chest, a pentagram surrounded by another ring with small spikes extending outward.

"Do you see this?" The teen's brow furrowed as he nodded slowly, knowing he would've remembered the pain from such an intricate tattoo. "Good," Sebastian said, using his teeth to remove the glove from his free hand. On the back of it was an identical symbol, contrasting with both of their porcelain skin. "It is a form of contract, stronger than any written one ever created. I will explain why at a later date, but know that this contract cannot be broken easily." The hand moved to let the shirt cover the mark again. "It is also a symbol of a bond between two people, again much more powerful than even blood ties. There is little that can break this bond. Even death holds little sway." Cautiously the butler's finger was pulled from Kyoya's lips. "Do you understand, my lord?"

Slowly Kyoya's strength had returned, allowing him to nod gently and pause to allow himself to focus again. His dark eyes flicked upwards, locking with the older man's red one. "Well, in truth, there is one question I would like an answer to."

"What would that be, my lord?" Sebastian pulled on his discarded glove, giving the teen an amused stare. "I cannot read minds."

"Yes, I am quite aware." The Ootori crossed his arms, adjusting his glasses and looking at the butler seriously. "Why, may I ask, did you choose to form this bond with me?"

To the teen's dismay the butler smiled, holding out a neatly folded stack of Kyoya's jacket and tie. "Because, my lord," he said, gently placing the clothes into Kyoya's hands, "we are more alike than you would think. And after one hundred and twenty years, I believe I deserve at least a change of scenery. You, Mr. Ootori, are like a breath of fresh air." Then Sebastian disappeared out the door, leaving a stunned Kyoya behind.

He slowly rebuttoned his shirt and coat, splashing water onto his face in an effort to clear his thoughts. "I suppose I should go back to the classroom," Kyoya finally murmured reluctantly. The quiet calm of the bathroom, the allure of a Tamaki-free room tugged at him, tempting him to just leave school altogether for the rest of the day. It would allow him time to think, give him time to process what his butler had told him. "Sebastian," he found himself saying quietly, "I would like to go now."

"Kyoya!" Tamaki bounded into the room, flinging his arms around Kyoya's neck, spinning him around happily. "You're alive, thank goodness! I saw you fall outside the classroom but the teacher told me to go work on the project or go to detention so I went back there and decorated our still and Haruhi will be so proud of me, I just know it, and I can't believe you're really okay!"

"I won't be alive for much longer if you keep holding me like this," Kyoya gasped.

"Oh, sorry." He loosened his grip, looking up at Kyoya worriedly. "You still okay?"

"Yes Tamaki, I'm fine." Kyoya straightened his glasses, reassuring the blonde three more times before they began walking down the hall. He tuned out the sound of Tamaki's voice as the blonde talked to himself the entire way back, not even pausing for a breath until he pulled open the science classroom's door.

"And so I told my darling Haruhi that she looked simply adorable in her army outfit that we wore last week and she told me to go away and stop being a creep! Can you believe her?! I try to compliment her and she just blows me off!"

Kyoya stumbled forward into the back of the classroom, collapsing onto a lab stool in shock. Their still, originally built from a pipe, plastic tarp, wooden ramp, plastic jug and metal supports, had been first dipped in a pit of bright silver glitter, then a bucket of stickers. In some parts, the original material couldn't even be seen beneath the whirlwind of color. "Tamaki-" he choked out, eyes wide in disbelief. "What have you done to our project?!"

"Don't you like it?" The blonde bowed, dramatically moving around it and showing it off. "The teacher told me to work on the project so I borrowed some stuff from the art teacher's room..." His eager voice trailed off, seeing the shocked expression on his friend's face. "Don't you like it, Kyoya?" he asked quietly, eyes downcast. "I thought you would like it, you usually do like my ideas..."

Kyoya clenched his hands together, took a deep breath, and slowly relaxed his fingers, shaking them so they lie limp. "We'll win the award for the best-looking still," he said weakly, forcing a smile while seeing his GPA drop dramatically. "The other groups don't stand a chance."

Tamaki beamed brightly at him. "You really like it?!"

"Of course." The Ootori nodded, already searching through his binder for extra credit work for the class. "I really should leave you in charge more often." He couldn't push away the thought of Tamaki tricking him and the other host club members into glitter-covered outfits. "On the other hand," he muttered, crouching to make sure nothing was damaged severely, "perhaps that wouldn't be such a fantastic idea." The glitter had contaminated their slowly rising supply of undistilled wood alcohol, giving him no choice but to dump it out and let it fill up from square one. Much like my new life, Kyoya thought, watching the small drops land in the container. Bit by bit, it's becoming better; I hope.


End file.
